Optical system to monitor Alve riser integrity
Offshore staff
COPENHAGEN, Denmark --NKT is providing a fiber optic system to monitor flexible riser integrity on StatoilHydro's Alve development in the Norwegian North Sea.
The company implemented the same technology for the 11.5-in. (29.21-cm) ID production riser connected to the Norne field FPSO, which will also host production from Alve. In Alve's case, the technique will be used to monitor performance inside a 10.5-in. (26.67-cm) production riser.
The optic fibers are placed in a small number of tensile armor wires within the riser to obtain real-time dynamic response during operation. This allows the operator to determine the riser's remaining fatigue life.
NKT's complete system comprises sensor assemblies, an interrogation device, and a PC. The optical fibers are terminated in a water-proof connector box on the outside of the end-fitting. The fibers are spliced together with an optical cable which is connected to the interrogation unit, situated in the control room. This acts as a converter for the optical signals which are analyzed by the PC.
11/05/2007